U.S. Labour Secretary Alexander Acosta on Friday resigned after earlier in the week defending way he handled a decade-old sex abuse case against wealthy businessman Jeffrey Epstein while Acosta was a federal prosecutor.

Donald Trump announced the news with Acosta by his side at the White House as the president left on a trip to the Midwest.

Acosta said stepping aside was the right decision.

Trump earlier this week said he would look into the matter, complimenting Acosta for serving the government ably for over two years.

But on Friday, the president said the questions about the Epstein deal had become a "distraction."

On Monday, U.S. prosecutors in New York accused Epstein, 66, of sex trafficking, in an indictment that detailed how he lured dozens of girls, some as young as 14, to his luxury homes and coerced them into performing sex acts.

Epstein has pleaded not guilty.

Meanwhile trump defends Acosta handling of epstien, gee I wonder why? Another high ranking trumper getting tossed and probably charged, of trumps past left buried? Or other millionaire folks beholding to trump who dabbled on the island of pedo.

The prosecutors said they were not bound by the 2008 Florida deal struck by Acosta, then the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida, that allowed Epstein to plea to a lesser offence. Epstein served 13 months in jail with leave during the day and registered as a sex offender.

Democrats en masse had called for Acosta's resignation.

Rash of administration departures

Trump said Friday that deputy Pat Pizzella will took over as acting labour secretary, one of a host of positions now vacant or with officials serving in an acting capacity.

Seven months after James Mattis resigned as defence secretary, for example, there has yet to be confirmation hearings after Patrick Shanahan pulled out of the running. There is also no confirmed deputy defence secretary, and other significant senior civilian and military Pentagon positions are in limbo, more than at any recent time.

Kirstjen Nielsen, outgoing secretary of Homeland Security, in April become the 15th cabinet official to depart in just over two years, a rate of turnover not matched in recent presidencies.

Acosta was not Trump's first choice to fill the post as he became president. He ascended to the role after Andrew Puzder, the original pick and former head of Carl's Jr. Restaurants, withdrew from consideration after domestic violence allegations emerged.

Trumps running a shit show rotten from the top down. Meanwhile all the sitting crime boss can tweet is cnn fake news. How embarrassing for USA. Meme me, sure.